Emergency & Disaster Programs

When a natural or man-made disaster strikes, both people and their animals are affected. In Massachusetts, funds from our programs benefit animals and their caregivers when they need it most. Our programs offer pet owners the peace of mind that first responders in their city or town will be prepared when emergencies arise.

The Emergency and Disaster Program provides funds for:

Disaster and emergency response, recovery, mitigation and planning

Education for animal owners about preparing for disasters

Training for teams about how to respond to urgent events

The MVMA Charities supports the State of Massachusetts Animal Response Team (SMART) annually in their efforts to address the needs of animals in emergencies and disasters.​​​The MVMA Charities helped bring BART (Basic Animal Rescue Training) to Massachusetts in 2015 and has since offered trainings in 14 towns across the state. Learn more about this program that empowers first responders to be prepared and equipped to address pets and livestock encountered in emergencies and disasters.

Is your community prepared for a disaster? In 2014 Governor Deval Patrick signed into law an Act Ensuring the Safety of People with Pets in Disasters. This law requires the municipalities of Massachusetts to create an emergency plan of operations to support the needs of people with household pets and the needs of household pets under their care, including service animals.